Now playing: The Sales Tax That Wouldn't Die

When life is fair, Hollywood will remake the campy 1962-horror movie “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die,” only this time it will be filmed in Beaufort County and renamed “The Sales Tax That Wouldn’t Die.”

Back in 2006, a one percent increase in the state sales tax was implemented in Beaufort County supposedly to help cover the estimated costs of a number of roads projects that at the time although some dubious, were deemed absolutely necessary for the good of the county by the powers to be. The tax was to apply for a period of six years or whenever it generated about $152 million.

Fast forward to the year 2012 when the sales tax is projected to generate the above amount a quarter or two earlier than originally forecasted and rightfully to fade into non-existence. However, lo and behold, County Council is now raising the issue of whether or not the question of extending the tax should be placed on the 2012 ballot. Since the originally approved projects, although some absolutely necessary and some of questionable value, were to be completed with a combination of sales tax dollars and various fees associated with growth and development that did not materialize due to the economic downturn, not all were completed.

Therefore, the suggestion has come forth to keep that sales tax going until all of the projects approved six years ago are completely funded. Of course, the age-old argument that a sales tax is not as harmful to full-time residents since visitors also pay the tax always comes up, but visitors pay that tax when and if they visit, I pay that tax every single time I walk into a store, so bah humbug to that overused rationale.

Moreover are all of the uncompleted projects necessary? Certainly, times have changed so too our priorities may have changed. In addition, as one member of council pointed out, the costs of these uncompleted projects has probably spiraled upward, the voters approved them at a certain cost level, are they still worth doing at today’s real costs?

At the same meeting, a number of concerned citizens addressed the council about the hastily built intersection of the current Hampton Parkway and the soon to be expanded U.S. 278. The design and location of the current intersection was suspect from its inception, and will only be made worse after the expansion is completed. Moreover it was only to be temporary until more development funds were available, and we all know how that age-old promise turned out.

If we are asked to keep this eternal tax alive shouldn’t the voters be given a new list of priorities with capped costs, better reflecting today’s individual problems areas such as the Hampton Parkway intersection instead of stubbornly going forward with a nearly decade-old list of projects.